Photo Accessory Reviews

My best friend’s daughter just left to study design in Europe and was given the standard litany of safety precautions by her parents. One city she’s visiting is notorious for street thieves—pickpockets and their ilk—so she was advised to be extra vigilant. I won’t name the city for fear of maligning it as a risky place for tourists, but I will divulge that citizens there eat more pasta per capita than anywhere else in the world. Lots more.

This reminded me of the travel safeguards that have become habits to me. Be alert and aware at all times is the best advice, and I try diligently to do so. That vigilance generally lasts until I become engrossed in a photographic subject. I can even become lost—in the literal sense—while taking pictures and (although I’ll deny this later if it’s repeated beyond this page) I’ve even had to sit down and review the pictures I just shot until I find one that tells me where I started.

I assure you I am normal in every other way, more-or-less.

Which brings me to the Carrysafe 75 anti-theft camera neck strap from Pacsafe. It looks normal in every way, but it’s designed to thwart strap slashers, camera grabbers and other thugs who try to separate you from your DSLR.

The Carrysafe consists of a 36-inch strap that’s deceptively soft and comfortable. Beneath the  neoprene padding is strong stainless steel wire that refuses to yield to slash-and-grab muggers. The strap attaches to most cameras regardless of strap lug design. It’s strong enough for a heavy DSLR and light enough for a mirrorless model.

One of the secrets in its strength is the 13mm herringbone-pattern webbing that extends between the ends of the strap and the camera body. It’s made of Dyneema, a Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene fiber (UHMWPE for short) which is up to 15 times stronger than steel and 40% stronger than aramid fibers (think DuPont Kevlar, the stuff bulletproof vests are filled with). UHMWPR, by the way, is pronounced just like it sounds.

The Carrysafe strap can be adjusted from about 39 to 46 inches. It weighs about one-third of a pound but it seems much lighter. Pacsafe offers several other fortified camera neck straps and wrist straps and you can order directly from their website. The Carrysafe 75 featured here sells for $40 and is also available from B&H Photo, Adorama and other camera retailers.

This video tells something about Pacsafe’s specialty—manufacturing high quality travel gear that’s technologically one step ahead of the crooks. The V9 sling pack is a favorite of mine, and I reviewed it on these pages last fall. You can read the Pacsafe V9 review here.

—Jon Sienkiewicz